Problem description
MS-SQL backup failed with Phoenix 187 error due to auto kill of mssql.exe (SQL Plugin). During auto-discovery or initial discovery, the Druva SQL plugin process crashes and terminates automatically, which stops the discovery process and causes the backup job to fail with Phoenix 187.
Cause
The Druva SQL discovery executable (sqldiscovery) relies on executing PowerShell commands (such as GetInstanceDetails) to query and fetch SQL instance metadata from the host system.
This failure occurs because:
PowerShell is missing or has been removed from the target Windows host.
The system environment variable %PATH% is missing the path to powershell.exe (%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\), preventing the discovery script from running and causing the SQL plugin process to auto-kill and exit.
Traceback
MSSQL Plugin Log (sql-plugin.log):
level=info ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.8129421Z filename=trigger_discovery.go:167 message="Starting discovery process..."
level=error ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.9921194Z filename=trigger_discovery.go:190 message="Discovery command failed with exit code" Error="exit status 1" exit_code=1
level=error ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.9921194Z filename=trigger_discovery.go:372 message="Failed to run first discovery, exiting plugin." Error="exit status 1"
MSSQL Discovery Log (sqldiscovery.log):
level=warn ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.9461009Z filename=vssbackuphelper.go:154 message="Error in getting microsoft provider ID" Error="exec: \"powershell\": executable file not found in %PATH%"
level=error ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.962113Z filename=utils.go:67 message="Failed to get instance details" Error="failed to execute PowerShell script for GetInstanceDetails: PowerShell execution failed: : exec: \"powershell\": executable file not found in %PATH%"
level=error ts=2026-07-22T08:00:37.962113Z filename=main.go:67 message="Discovery failed" Error="failed to execute PowerShell script for GetInstanceDetails: PowerShell execution failed: : exec: \"powershell\": executable file not found in %PATH%"
Resolution
Step 1: Verify PowerShell Installation
Verify whether powershell.exe exists in the system directory:
%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\
(typically C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\).If PowerShell was removed or is not installed, install/reinstall Windows PowerShell on the host server.
Step 2: Add PowerShell to System Environment Variables (%PATH%)
If PowerShell is installed on the server but the plugin still fails to locate it:
Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter to open System Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab and click Environment Variables.
Under System variables, select Path and click Edit.
Check if the PowerShell folder path is present:
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\If missing, click New and add:
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Click OK to save all changes.
Step 3: Restart Druva Services
Restart the Druva Enterprise Workloads service so that it registers the updated system %PATH% variable:
Open services.msc.
Locate the Druva Enterprise Workloads Service.
Right-click and select Restart.
Verification
Open Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) as an Administrator.
Run the command powershell -version directly without navigating to the PowerShell installation path to confirm it resolves successfully via %PATH%.
Open Task Manager on the target server.
Verify that the mssql.exe process is actively running and remains stable in Task Manager post Druva service restart without automatically terminating.
Trigger a manual backup from the Druva Management Console and verify that the backup job completes successfully without any Phoenix 187 errors.